


The Six Wives of King Reiner

by VenueWings



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Betrayal, Cheating, Children, Courtly Love, Execution, F/M, Historical Fantasy, Kings & Queens, M/M, Marriage, Multi, Politics, Same-Sex Marriage, Tudor Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-06 23:00:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4239912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VenueWings/pseuds/VenueWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the SNK Kink Meme: Tudors AU - one character is King Henry VIII. Set sometime after the coup or even a complete AU, I'm thinking either Erwin or Christa, but whatever inspires the writer. So character of your choice wants to secure their legacy, maybe they even go a little dark, and goes through six consorts. Can be het or slash, for the sake of this prompt yes I'm fine with the non traditional pregnancies. You can turn this prompt to just royalty and PWP if that helps. </p>
<p>Obviously, Reiner is King Henry here. A bonus point was for Jean to be Anne of Cleves because Anne was "described by the king to look like a horse but [was] the only wife who managed to escape AND outlive the king", I didn't quite go for that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Six Wives of King Reiner

_ The First _

From the day he understood words, Beltolt Hoover knew he was to be Queen Consort. Betrothed to the future King Berik, Beltolt grew up groomed to be at the side of the future ruler. He had a soft spoken voice, but his very appearance was meant to draw attention. He was trained to act submissive, but it was understood that he will be guiding the future kings. When he was presented to court, Prince Berik was immediately pleased. At the same time the prince’s younger brother, Reiner, saw the future queen and wished to have Berltolt as his own. 

As fate would have it, just months after the marriage Berik passed away. Berltolt was unable to leave as his family and Berik’s fought over politics and his dowry. Relations deteriorated until Reiner took over as king, and he was eager to take both his brother’s throne and queen. 

The two had a lavish ceremony and spent several years happily married. Reiner and Berltolt shared a tender love not even broken by distance, as Reiner sought to make himself a warrior and fought in several battles. On one occasion Berltolt even joined him, presenting his king with the blood soaked uniform of the enemy. Berltolt was a popular queen, beloved by all, but not by fertility. The first child conceived was a daughter, and a stillborn. The second child was the desired prince, but he too soon died after. In total there were six children, but only one who survived. 

The lack of a male heir soon soured the marriage, and Reiner began to stray. Although never abusive, his attentions were soon drawn elsewhere, other men and women soon visited the king’s bed. Berltolt watched helplessly, but clung onto his faith. 

_Know your duty, know your purpose._

_You are the king, and I am your queen, do not forget why we have been placed here._

Berltolt will not question his king, not even as Reiner’s personality changed and became something unfamiliar. Not even as Reiner began to make friends and advisers of people who will work against everything Berltolt believed in. Not even as the story broke out that Sasha Blouse had bore the king a son. 

_An illegitimate child, this son will not take the place of my daughter._

Not even as another beauty caught the king’s eye, rekindling a passion Berltolt had not seen for years. 

_He will tire of this newcomer, he will not abandon me._

But unknown to Berltolt, that was exactly what Reiner was planning. In a moment of dissociation and near the presence of several ambitious advisors, Reiner was given the means to get rid of his queen, something not even Pastor Nick had been willing to do. One night, Reiner approached his neglected spouse and spoke. 

“I married my brother’s wife and for that I am punished, no child would come from such a marriage, and so this marriage is to be annulled and void.” 

Berltolt begged the king to reconsider, reminding him they had married because it was declared that Berltolt’s marriage to Berik had been void long ago. Their daughter was mentioned, but to Reiner she was useless, he needed a male heir. Berltolt refused to grant the king a divorce, but at a time when Reiner was being convinced to break free of traditional beliefs and gather power for himself, Berltolt was helpless. Forced into exile and separated from his child, Berltolt spent his remaining years in distant far-off castles. 

Until his death, Berltolt held onto his beliefs, refusing to relinquish his title as queen. 

But to the rest of the world, Eren Yeager had taken his place. 

_The Second_

Fresh from an education at the court of King Erwin, Eren Yeager danced into court with exotic looks and style, drawing the attention of men and women alike. He saw the neglect of Queen Berltolt, how even the well-acknowledged mistress Sasha was married off, and swore he will not so easily submit to the king. 

Like Berltolt, Eren was originally betrothed to another, one Levi Ackerman. The betrothal was callously ended by Pastor Nick, probably by Reiner’s request, but Eren never forgave or forget. When it became obvious that the king himself was courting his attention, Eren saw no problem with using the king’s power for his personal benefit. Knowing the difficult politics Nick was caught in due to the king’s desire to terminate his marriage to Berltolt, Eren encouraged the king to dismiss the pastor. 

Eren soon become irresistible to the king, who was willing to break from traditions and Berltolt, all for Eren’s submission. Feisty and passionate, Eren was not so easily tamed, and had no problem going against the king. The court watched, half in awe, as Eren did what no other had done before: He told the king no, sending back his gifts and denying him any favors. Far from being angry, Reiner seemed to be under a spell. 

“Give yourself to me,” he begged. 

“Give me a crown,” was Eren’s reply. 

Nick was unable, and unwilling, to dissolve the union between Reiner and Berltolt. With Eren’s urging, Reiner had him dismissed and replaced. Once Berltolt was dealt with, Eren took the crown, becoming the new queen. Shortly after he gave birth, but it was not the promised son. 

Nevertheless Eren loved his child just as passionately as he once did the king, who was furious at the lack of a male heir. Unlike Berlolt, Eren did not remain silent, he fought back. The passion Eren was famous for now also fueled his arguments with the king, displayed fearlessly in public. 

The tumultuous relationship between the two, and the miscarriage of a deformed child, was the beginning of the end. Again Reiner began to stray, escalating the fights between the royal couple. Eren’s rapid rise, and the decisions he influenced the king to make, had made him enemies. Traditions and old alliances were being changed and undermined, Eren saw little reason to cling to past institutions that had held him back from gaining power, and as a result encouraged change and reformation. His reformist inclinations had enabled major change in society, one that not even Reiner was completely comfortable about. 

But Reiner always had allies, just like how he found those who would help him exile Bertolt, he found others who will help him get rid of his outspoken queen. To avoid the increasing religious and civil strife in the country, Reiner chose to unite them under a common enemy, and labeled Eren a witch. 

“There had always been something different about him, Eren Yeager must have bewitched me.” 

The differences that once made Eren so exotic, the green eyes that once enchanted the court, were suddenly evidence of witchcraft. To further the charges, Eren was accused of adultery, and several others were accused of sexual relations with the queen – including Eren’s own sibling, Mikasa. All accused were put to death. 

Eren himself was imprisoned through the trials, forbidden from seeing his family, and alternating between screaming and crying. Ultimately he was a proud individual, at the very end as he stood on the scaffold, he delivered a speech not only denying the charges but praising the king he once knew. It was a final mercy that Reiner chose to execute Eren, instead of burning him at the stake like all those accused of witchcraft. 

But it was mercy, not love, for Reiner had long moved on. The king waited until the news came that Eren had breathed his last, and he instantly rode out to meet Annie Leonhart. Before Eren’s body had grown cold, news came of the king’s next engagement. 

_The Third_

After his experience with Eren, Reiner wanted someone quiet, someone not as troublesome. He wanted someone who would return to the traditional values, and Annie Leonhart fit the profile. It helped that Annie came from a family of ambitious individuals who were more than willing to push her forward. The world they came from was harsh and unforgiving, already an enemy. The king may or may not be an enemy, so the family was more than willing to encourage the union. 

Annie was a calm presence, nowhere as glamorous or loud as Eren had been. The blond girl shared a similar background with the previous queen and had in fact been one of Eren’s attendants, training him in the martial arts. She knew what used to excite Reiner now irritated him, and knew better than to ask the king for a crown, not wanting to remind the king of Eren. Unlike the previous two queens, Annie became pregnant before any coronation. 

The pressure for the desired male heir was greater then ever. Annie knew it was this failure that cost Bertolt and Eren the king’s favor, but now even Sasha’s illegitimate son had passed away. Reiner needed a successor to the throne, and all eyes were on Annie. 

Finally, the day came. Annie went to labor, and remained that way the day after, and another. By the third night the doctors warned the king that both may die. The decision was easy for Reiner to make. 

“Save the child, other wives may be easily found.” 

Luckily the son was delivered, and Annie lived. Hearing that her mission had been a success, that she had given birth to a healthy son, the normally emotionless girl shed real tears. 

_I have succeeded where the others failed, I will live, and be the true queen._

But just as the doctors had suspected, there were complications in the birth. Furthermore the country demanded celebrations, now that there was a male heir to the throne. Instead of resting, Annie was taken out to oversee and attend all the events and rituals required for her baby. 

Her health fell, got worse, and soon she was confined back to her bed. Reiner had planned for more celebrations, for the long awaited coronation that would officially crown Annie as queen, now he could only watch as she suffered and slowly faded from him. 

The son that should have secured Annie’s life would instead bring her death. Defeated in body but not in mind, Annie evoked an old power, encasing herself in crystal and cutting herself off from the rest of the world. Although he had been willing to sacrifice her, Reiner seemed to genuinely miss his departed wife. For much time afterwards he tried to break her free, but the crystal remained, until he gave up and declared her dead.

_ The Fourth _

With three wives dead, old alliances broken, the risk of more civil strife and a severely depleted treasury, Reiner’s advisors encouraged him to find a new queen, but it was no easy task. Surrounding kingdoms had their spies and channels, telling them of what had been happening in the last few years. Many of the nearby royalty also happen to be distantly related to Bertolt Hoover, and remembered the king’s poor treatment. Reiner had also been used to love matches, he chose his queens, but the situation as it was demanded a more practical choice. 

So the king tasked his advisors with the assignment, an opportunity many leapt eagerly on. After some searching, several portraits of eligible candidates were presented, and Reiner chose Ymir of Cleves. 

Cleves was a far off and distant land, but strong and wealthy, furthermore it was pro-reformation and change to the religious status quo. To those who had gained power in the wake of reformist policies, Cleves would put them in favour of the traditionalists. Ymir’s arrival to Reiner’s kingdom was celebrated with a great feast and party. The brunette had never seen her intended, and so when Reiner approached her, she rudely rebuked him. 

Before the marriage ceremony, it quickly became clear the match was ill fitting. King Erwin’s court was at least close enough to be familiar to those who saw Eren’s differences, Ymir’s upbringing was completely foreign. What Reiner was interested in, Ymir was not, and the reverse was also true. Against their wishes, the marriage went through. 

Reiner quickly strove to annul the marriage. He listed many reasons: language barriers, physical attraction, and that the marriage was not consummated. Ymir, partially out of language barrier and partially because she knew what had happened to the previous queens, knew better than to resist. In fact, she was content to sit back and let the king do his work. 

Neither was she a fool, Ymir and the king shared little in common, and both were noticing new things and gaining new interests. Ymir loved games and drinks, and she made plenty of new friends, including one Historica Reiss. She was also aware that among her attendants, someone else had caught the king’s eyes. 

_You picked your mistresses from your queen’s inner circle, you noticed the exotic Eren when Bertolt was your queen, and after Eren took the crown you noticed Annie. You will not take my life as easily as you took theirs_.

Finally, several months after their marriage, the king brought an interpreter with him and asked her for an annulment. Reiner had experience with queens who fought his decision, and was eager to give her incentive. Ymir was made a sister of the king, granting her precedence over everyone except the royal family, and was gifted with many lands and estates. 

The former queen remained in Reiner's kingdom, establishing herself and even creating great friendships with the king’s children. Ymir may not trust the king, but she saw no disadvantage in staying and becoming known as one of the most powerful figures in the country. 

“The king made a better brother than husband,” was her response to any bold enough to ask her. 

_The Fifth_

Because he did not consummate the marriage with Ymir, Reiner worried about his chances for a second heir. As a second son himself, he understood too well the risks of putting all his hopes onto one son. His greed for more sons was matched only by his carnal lust, and his next queen was chosen more for looks and charm. 

Jean Kirstein was charming and vivacious, possessing all the youthful qualities of passion and looks. That the king was drawn to him was both a surprise and not, for Jean bore resemblance to his cousin, the ill-fated second queen Eren Yeager. 

Like Eren, Jean enchanted the king, and Reiner could not get enough of him. To many, the king was again blinded by the less savoury aspects of his lover, for Jean had a promiscuous history. His reckless and alluring behaviour with other men may be tolerated had he married one of his lovers, but by marrying the king and becoming queen, such actions were treason. 

Nevertheless, conservative elements who did not like the changes initiated by Eren took to supporting the new queen, who was even less inclined than Annie to get involved in politics. At a time when Reiner was increasingly ill, Jean was exactly what the court needed to keep the king happy and most importantly, distracted. Jean had been smart enough to keep silent about his past, bribing his previous lovers to do the same, and what he couldn’t do his allies did. Reiner remained oblivious to his beloved’s past indiscretions, as not even those who would gossip in the court dared to anger the king. 

“He’s a juvenile delinquent, just don’t let the king know.” 

But when someone finally did say something, Jean fell as rapidly, if not even faster, than his cousin. Reiner initially believed the accusations to be false, but when he allowed for an investigation it was discovered that there were even more witnesses than those created for Eren’s trial. Jean’s previous lovers were easily arrested, for many of his bribes to them had been to positions of power and thus near the king. All were interrogated, and all named one of Jean’s childhood loves as his current lover – one Marco Bodt. 

Marco was a dashing young man, in a position of power himself as one of the king’s closest advisors. Before meeting Reiner and attracting his eye, Jean had considered Marco as the most attractive of his suitors. It seemed as if their affair had never ended, and the furious king had both arrested, imprisoned, and charged. 

The adulterers were all executed, Jean left for last. The same charge that took Eren’s life was now laid on Jean, and like his cousin Jean spent those days in hysteria. He begged the king for mercy, but Reiner refused to forgive his queen’s past indiscretions. After Marco was executed, Jean calmed and grew bitter. Not wanting to lay ruin to his memory, Jean requested the chopping block be brought to him so that he may practice dying with dignity. 

Eventually the day of his execution came, and Jean was taken out of his tower. The weeks he spent imprisoned had weakened his health, and Jean had to be helped onto the scaffold. He gave one final speech, one that echoed Eren’s in praise of the king, but unlike Eren he acknowledged the truth of his charges. 

“I die a Queen, but I would have rather died the husband of Marco.” 

With the exception of perhaps Annie, Reiner was never present for the deaths of his queens. Jean shared this same fate with his cousin Eren, and was subsequently buried beside him and Mikasa. 

_ The Last _

After the humiliating disaster with Jean, Reiner’s subjects hesitated in their suggestions for the next queen, for new laws had been set. Before the next queen may be crowned, the candidate’s sexual history must be disclosed, and anyone who knew of that history must also come forward or be accused of willfully hiding the truth from the king. 

This was harder than it sounded, because whether the queen was virgin or not was judged by the king, and he had been grievously wrong with Jean. Reiner had also proven to be dangerous to excite, he had destroyed traditionalists and reformists alike, his personality and opinions seemed split as if between two people, and to top it all he had the disturbing quality of being pleasant to an individual right up until the moment he had them destroyed. 

No longer was a scheming advisor able to present an attractive candidate and have them seduce the king, now if the candidate is questioned the same schemer could be put to death. 

The court waited with bated breath, looking to see where the king planned to choose his next queen. When Reiner picked Armin Arlet, the family and their allies breathed in relief and encouraged the courtship. 

After all, nothing needed to be said about the sexual history of a widower. 

Armin had a sharp mind but not a sharp tongue, he loved learning but knew better than to be arrogant. He also had a reputation of being kind and compassionate, already used to looking after sick spouses. The courts knew Armin was interested in Annie’s brother, but when it became clear that Reiner was interested, Armin knew not to pursue the romance. 

Not long after he became a widower once more, Reiner proposed, and made Armin his new queen. Armin entered his third marriage, it would not be his last. 

The clever blond was quick to attract allies, the king’s children all loved him, and Armin could see the wind was blowing on the reformists’ side. He made himself sympathetic to their clause and secured their allegiance, a move that angered many traditionalists. 

Reiner wanted one last battle to mark his end as a warrior, and so did battle with King Erwin. During his campaign he made Armin the country’s Regent, a title he had not gifted any other since Bertolt. When Reiner returned, he found that Armin had ruled well in his absence, and was so impressed be began to take Armin’s advice. This honour terrified Armin, who recognized that the traditionalists were now clamouring to have him destroyed. He could hear the whispers aimed for the king, hoping he would dispose of Armin like he had done with the other queens before. 

Thinking quickly, Armin appealed to the king’s vanity and passions, claiming that his debates were only so he could learn from Reiner and distract him from more painful issues. Pleased, Reiner reconciled with his queen. When traditionalists tried to arrest Armin, the king himself came to the younger’s defense and beat them into submission. 

It wasn’t coincidence that this happened in front of many witnesses, Armin wanted everyone to see the king save him in a spectacular fashion that the story would be repeated far and wide. His plan worked, few now dared go against him. 

As Reiner continued to age, Armin stayed by his side, gaining prominence as dowager queen. 

In the end, only Armin and Ymir outlived the king. Almost immediately after Reiner’s death, Armin remarried, his fourth and final marriage finally made not for politics but love. 

In a world as challenging as Reiner’s court, it was a miraculous feat.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on June 2014


End file.
